


Under Bridges

by SimmeringSun



Series: The Lost Boys [1]
Category: Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman | Mega Man Classic
Genre: Child Neglect, Dr. Light's A+ Parenting, Dr. Wily's A+ Parenting, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Running Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 07:30:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15859062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimmeringSun/pseuds/SimmeringSun
Summary: Bass runs away from home and meets an unexpected someone crying under a bridge.





	Under Bridges

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the tags. These two having a friendship will probably be a series

“Oh what the fuck!”, Bass shouted to the sky as he continued with his steps. The few drops he felt earlier hadn't been a trick of the mind after all. It was really raining.

Maybe Bass should have checked the weather before he decided to run away from home. It was too late now though. If he went back now the doc would lecture him. That was the last thing he needed.

The robot didn't think some rain could affect him. No, he was an unstoppable robot after all: the best there was. He just really hated the feeling of rain on his artificial skin.

He was by the local park now with a bag slung over his shoulder. He had all the essentials of course: a blanket, some chips, a bottle of Mountain Dew, and his Gameboy. No, this wasn't his first rodeo. He's run out on the doc many times before. The young robot always found himself going back though. Not like he cared about him or anything. He just knew that Wily was a good asset in his plan to defeat Mega Man.

He looked around at the empty park and groaned as the rain gradually grew harder. He needed to get out of it before he started shooting blasts up in the clouds out of irritation.

He walks through the wet wood chips and stares at the crowd of trees that hug a portion of the park. He heard that it was actually a dense forest, and people weren't allowed to go through it. Bass walks through the trees and sighs when less rain falls onto him due to the shelter of the leaves.

“Don't go by trees when it's thundering!”, Wily’s voice rang in his head. “You can get seriously hurt!”

Bass groans as he continues walking through the dense brush. He really didn't want to think of the Doc right now.

He grins when he sees the sight of a crumbling cement bridge. It was probably as safe as staying by trees when it was thundering, but it should block out more rain.

Bass goes to the end of the bridge and squints his eyes. It's pretty dark, but there's a spot that's illuminated lightly when the lightning lit up the sky.

Bass is about to step in, but recoils when lightning strikes through the sky and a familiar figure is sitting against the wall of the bridge.

His shoulders are shaking, and if Bass listens carefully he can hear the sounds of breathy sobs. It was the sobs that replaced the choking ones when you've cried those too much. The figure has his blaster on. It was placed underneath his chin, like a hand in thought. Bass swears he sees the dull light of a building up charge. Bass feels his core clench.

“What the fuck? You ran away too Proto Man?”, Bass finds himself blurting out.

Said robot jumps in surprise, a surprised yelp sounding out.

“B-Bass?”, Proto calls out. His voice is still shaky from crying. “What are you even doing here?”

“Running away.”, Bass says with a shrug. Bass sees Proto's blaster is down. He walks over to the other and sits down next to him. 

“Running away?”, Proto asks. His voice seems empty. A laugh bubbles up his throat and Bass feels uncomfortable. “I did that years ago.”

“You're homeless?”, Bass asks. “I thought you were Mega Man's brother? Why the hell don't you live with him?”

“My dad tried to kill me.”, Proto says with a shrug. 

“Tried to kill you?”, Bass asks. He always thought Dr. Light and Co. were the picture perfect family. He guesses he was wrong. It makes Bass satisfied that Mega Man didn't have it all too good. He didn't know why, but it made his fight he had earlier with Wily seem pretty pathetic in his head. 

“Yeah.”, Proto says back. Bass can tell that he's trying his best to choke back tears.

Bass has cried before. He cried when someone beat his high score on his favorite game at the arcade. He cried when he was alone after Mega Man beat him. He even cried when Dr. Wily got him a burger instead of chicken nuggets once. He wasn't proud of any of it, but if he called Proto Man weak right now he'd be calling himself weak for all those times he cried. So he keeps his mouth shut.

Yeah, Bass may have cried before, but this was the first time he's seen anyone else cry. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. 

He thought about just walking away, but Bass can sense there was something gravely wrong. He didn't really hate Proto Man. The other had helped him against King that one time. Sure, his farewell words had pissed Bass off to no end, but he didn't hate him. He never seen Proto so overcome with emotion. The robot always had a poker face around Bass besides his occasional smug smirk. It seemed wrong to see the robot so vulnerable.

“So you just..stay here.”, Bass says. He looks around and sees a tattered blanket on the ground and some old crayons and paper. This place was a dump, but Bass stops himself from saying it out loud.

“Sometimes.”, Proto says. He was sniffling and Bass pretends not to notice. “Bass..why aren't you jabbing at me? I thought you of all people would take the opportunity to really get at me right now.”

“What?”, Bass asked. He was aggravated that Proto thought of a person who kicks people when they're down. He shrugs. “Everyone cries. I don't give a shit.”

“Heh..”, Proto says as he slips his fingers under his sunglasses, and wipes at his tears. “So you didn't see..? Nevermind then.”

A noise slips out of Proto and he clutches at his chest. He’s willing himself to stop crying, but tears still fall.

“H-Hey. Stop crying, I got some Mountain Dew and Doritos. I mean, they're off brand but they're still good.”, Bass says as he rummages through his bag. He takes the beverages and snacks out and hold them out to the crying robot. “You can't fucking cry when you have snacks. So stop crying.”

Proto is taking shuddering breaths, but the choked noises he makes slowly start to stop. There's a small smile on his face as he takes the offered snacks. He sniffles and looks down at the offering. Bass feels oddly relieved that the other is calming down.

“Y-You're a dork.”, Proto says shakily as he lets a laugh out. 

“You're the dork here!”, Bass says as he crosses his arms. 

“Ha..”, Proto says as he sniffles. “I never thought I’d be glad to see you Bass. I almost did something stupid.”

“Something stupid?”, Bass asks confused. “What were you going to do?”

“Well I'm not going to do it tonight, or maybe never, so it doesn't matter. I just want Doritos now.”, Proto says as he opens the bag with shaking hands. He pops one of the chips into his mouth. “Are you staying here?”

“No, I'm going back in the morning.”, Bass admits. “Me and Wily got into it, but he goes crazy without me.”

“Heh, more like crazy with you.”, Proto says.

“Oh shut up! Here I go giving you my snacks.”, Bass grumbles but he has a smile on his face. “Since you got your grubby hands on them you can keep the bag!”

“Ok.”, Proto says with a smile as he shoves more chips into his mouth. “Don't mind if I do.”

“Hey! Give me one at least!”, Bass yells.

“But I got my grubby hands all over them.”, Proto says. He’s stopped crying fully by now. Bass can still feel like something's wrong. He doesn't know how to ask though, so he stays quiet.

“Proto Man?”, Bass says to get the other's attention. “I fucking hate you and all, don't get me wrong, but why don't you come home with me?”

“Yeah, no.”, Proto says with a snort. “I had enough of Wily. He's the one who..he..”, 

He has a hand over his chest. Bass is scared he might start crying again but Proto takes a deep breath in and out.

“Plus, why would I want to stay with you?”, Proto asks with a smirk. 

“Stop lying, you fucking love me. No need to deny it.”, Bass says and Proto laughs.

“Ah yes. I love your dumb snarkiness and crazy helmet.”, Proto says sarcastically. “You got me.”

Proto yawns, his movements becoming lethargic. “My energy is..”

“Yeah it's past your bedtime.”, Bass says and Proto punches his arm lightly.

“Bass...I used to think you were just a spoiled brat who didn't give a crap about anything.”, Proto says as he leans his back heavily against the wall of the bridge. “But, now I see you're a spoiled brat who secretly does give a crap..”

“Wow.”, Bass says deadpan. “Thanks asshole.”

“Welcome.”, Proto says as he yawns again.

“Go to sleep idiot.”, Bass says. “I won't kill you in your sleep. I only accept fair fights, because I know I can beat you.”

“Heh, in your dreams.”, Proto mumbles. He smiles sadly before he goes into rest mode.

The rain had pittered to a stop. 

Bass rolls his eyes at the sleeping figure and frowns. Bass slept in a nice comfy space every night, with lots of covers and pillows. The concrete didn't look comfortable at all. Bass looks over at the tattered dirty blanket on the floor and shudders.

With a curse and a mumble about how the “damn guy was stealing all his stuff”, Bass takes out the blanket in his bag and puts it over the sleeping robot. 

He thinks for a moment before he scribbles a message onto one of the papers with the blunt crayons, and starts heading out of the tunnel. He takes one last look at the sleeping robot before he leaves.


End file.
